The 8th Quarter Quell: Without a Choice
by Mykindleisawesome
Summary: This is the actual story part of my SYOT! So please submit a tribute, there are still open spots! For this Quarter Quell, tributes are assigned alliances- six groups of four. And it has been rumored that some of your favorite couples... Were forced together by the Capital! There won't be any Careers this year...
1. District 12 Reapings

**Okay, so DaughterofApollo7 said I should do the reapings in order which the districts are filled. Surprisingly enough, District 12 was done first. I thought that was weird. I thought for sure it would be a Career district. But only two people submitted a Career so far.**

**So here is the District 12 reapings.**

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><p><strong>District 12<strong>

**Amber Smith**

My friend Avery and I giggle as we duck behind a building and into an alleyway as a pair of peacekeepers jog past, looking around wildly. We had just snagged a hunk of meat from the market, and two peacekeepers had managed to see us.

The two of us vault over the fence, and into my backyard. My parents are probably inside. We've never been particularly close, and then... I don't like to talk about it.

Avery and I dash inside, and run into my room. Our bare feet pound on the uneven wooden floor- the disadvantages of being part of the poor crowd. The door clicks shut behind us, and we flop on my bed. Well, it's really just a mattress, a pillow, and a ratty old blanket.

I take the small chicken out of the pocket of my jacket, and my stomach growls.

"Hungry?" Avery teases, flipping a piece of black hair over her shoulder.

"Hell yeah. I'm _so _glad this thing was already cooked. Because the reapings are today, I do _not _need food poisoning, just in case I'm reaped." I take out a small knife wrapped in cloth, and begin to saw the meal hunk of meat in half.

My stomach growls as soon as I'm done, and I toss half of the chicken to Avery. She's one of my only friends, so we're very close.

I look at my disgusting, dirt covered hands and cringe. If only my family and I were richer... But alas, no. We're lucky to find running water to bathe in, but that comes after breakfast.

I begin eating the small chicken, and look over to see Avery stuffing the last of it in her mouth. She slumps on the floor, rubbing her stomach. "Uhhhhh..." She moans.

"Hungry?" I ask teasingly as she slumps lower on the floor.

"More than a little. You know I love food."

"What? Whatever would give me that impression?" I finish the chicken off, grateful that there were no bones. It took so much work to maneuver around them, and you lost a lot of meat to it, which didn't help my hunger.

On the bright side, if I was ever reaped, the hunger part of the Hunger Games wouldn't really affect me.

A bell began to toll, and Avery and I jumped up, our eyes widening. "The reapings!" We yelled, and I began to change into something more presentable. Avery jumped out the window.

"See you there!" She screamed back at me, and I threw on a peasant blouse, a pair of ratty jeans, and a pair of sneakers.

I jog to the reapings, we only live ten minutes away, and that was the 15 minute warning bell. My mind panics, I have so many submissions because of tesserae. Even though I'm only 13. I begin to run faster as I catch a glimpse of the town square. I pass a peacekeeper, slyly taking a coin out of his pocket. If I make it past the reapings, of course.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if I was chosen. My parents wouldn't care, anyway. When I'm gone, they'll probably just go off and party or get drunk or something...

I get checked in, only wincing at the pain. I've felt worse. I slip into to back of the 13 year old section, right beside Avery, and the escort skips onstage.

"Hello, District 12!" He cheers, and silence is his only answer. "I really need to be promoted... But everyone enjoy this video!"

After the rebellion after the 75th Hunger Games failed, they added some things to the video. Katniss, the Girl On Fire, dead. But only after they killed everyone she loved. Except the brainwashed Peeta. In fact, he delivered the final blow. After that, he was shipped back to District 12 to live out his days. He became cruel and uncaring, the opposite of who he once was.

Because he was the only mentor, they let one female win during his reign if terror, and she was eighteen then, winning the 92nd Hunger Games. Everyone began to loathe Peeta. If Katniss had just killed him, they say, then we would be more free than we are now. Some of our beloved victors, like Johanna Mason, and Finnick Odair wouldve lived, and brought glory to their District. Some say District 7 was on the verge of becoming a Career District before then, but after that, their chances died along with Johanna.

The video stops, and our escort, apparently his name is Fiyero, gets up to address us. "Now, wasn't that just a _wonderful _video?" He gives us a look that says he will kill us all if we don't clap, so we all slowly do so. He steps up to a ball filled with names.

"Ladies first!" He cheers, and reaches a pale hand into the ball, his bright green hair the only happy looking thing in the District. Fiyero unfolds the paper, the new tribute's unlucky name ringing through the crowd.

"Amber Smith!"

Me. Oh shit. Right on cue, it begins to lightly drizzle. A single tear slips out, but I'm not too terribly surprised. I can do this. The drizzly rain covers my tears, and I feel like crying. I've been reaped. But I'll be leaving the person I'm closest to. My only friend. Avery.

My feet begin to work again, and I walk up to the stage slowly. The drizzling rain coats my body, making me feel cool and refreshed, but also nervous and hopeless. No one will volunteer for me.

"Any volunteers?" Fiyero asks, and is met with silence. Of course. I roll my eyes. In the lower districts, it's not worth asking that question. If anyone ever said yes, they believed they had a chance to win, needed money, wanted to die, or wanted to save a friend or sibling.

Some people are so stupid.

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><p><strong>District 12<strong>

**James Pyro**

I stand in the 16-year-old section, with my only friend, Max Weaver, by my side. We were both bullied at school, and it got better when we met and became best friends.

You see, Max isn't exactly the smartest guy ever. He spaces out a lot, and fails a lot of tests. As for me, I just look scary. With my white hair and blood red eyes, I generally scare off people.

But I want people to like me. I smile a lot, and try to make new friends.

"James!" I hear my sister yell my name, and turn to see Lily sobbing and running towards me, only to be held back by a pair of peacekeepers. Two more peacekeepers came up beside me, escorting me to the stage.

The smile fell off my face. Tears began to well up in my eyes, and I felt myself go limp. The peacekeepers grumble, and I feel the steady drizzle turn into a pouring rain, soaking me in seconds.

Eventually, my eyes roll up into the back of my head and the darkness invades.

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><p>When I come to, a peacekeeper immediately leaves the room, and I'm practically attacked by my little sister, Lily. She begins to sob, and I pat her back soothingly.<p>

"Shh... I'll be fine, Lily. Don't worry about me." My stomach wraps itself in knots, making me feel sick. I was reaped for the Hunger Games.

I'm never coming back.

My mom is suddenly in the room as well, crying and hugging herself. She takes something out of her pocket, clutching it close to her heart before holding it out to me.

"Take it. It was your father's." She whispers, and I gently take it from her. It appears to be a necklace with a dragon design on it.

"Thank you..." I look up at her, my mother, and she kneels down.

"I love you, James. You will come back to us." She hugs me, and the three of us cry and hug together.

Four peacekeepers march in, ripping my family from me. "NO! JAMES!" Lily sobs, screaming and kicking to get back to me.

They slam the door, leaving me alone. But not for long. Max comes in, his eyes bloodshot. He must've been crying all this time.

"You passed out, so I don't have long. You can win this. You're smart- smarter than me- and you know things about traps. I believe you can come back to me."

A few more tears work there way out, and the peacekeepers march back in, grabbing Max and pulling him away from me. He gives me a long look filled with meaning.

I can win this.

I _will _win this.

And no matter what, I _am _don't back. But more likely than not, it'll be in a box, like twenty-two other tributes. Leaving one sole Victor...

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><p><strong>Okay, so I'll just cut to the chase. Thank you for these wonderful tributes guys! And speaking of guys, we need male characters. I think from One and Two, maybe Four, and then a few in the lower districts.<strong>

**There WILL BE A SPONSOR SYSTEM! But I WILL NOT keel track of it for you. So the math yourself, I'll double check it. **

**Tributes: 20 points each. Two maximum.**

**Reviews: Ten points each. One per chapter. **

**End of chapter question: Five each.**

**Follow me or the story: Ten points.**

**Favorite me or the story: Fifteen points.**

**I will post anything else on my profile. And here's the chapter question:**

***drumroll* This only counts as five points because I think I've only told one or two people, BUT! What is my favorite. District.**

**Thank you for reading, and remember to review! Please, submit up to two characters!**


	2. District 1 Reapings

**Hey, welcome back! I hope you liked the District 12 reapings, here's the District 1 reapings. **

**I don't own the Hunger Games.**

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><p><strong>District 1<strong>

**Carmen Alvarez**

I bat my smoky gray eyes at the innkeeper, giving him a charming smile as I twirl a strand of black hair around my finger. "I was wondering... Since I'm Volunteering today, could I keep my stuff here? I have no place of my own..." I whisper almost seductively, keeping the smile on my face.

The man, in his thirties or forties, has a dopey smile on his face. He obviously liked what I was doing, and nodded. "O-of course!" He fumbled for a keyring, going to unlock what was obviously a storage room. "Here ya go, Ma'am!"

I peeked inside, and began to unload what I had left into the one small room. Two whole suitcases. That's all I could find to put my minimal belongings in. But oh well, I sighed, and put them in the room. At least I have a few belongings left.

The charming smile reappears on my face as I flounce towards the innkeeper once more. "Oh, and one more thing... if you wouldn't mind..."

"Oh, of course! Anything!"

"I need to freshen up before I volunteer. Could you unlock a room for me?"

"Yes!" He scurried off, and I quickly scooted over to raid the cash register, a scowl on my face. Only a few dollars...

I heard footsteps working their way back down the hall, and my eyes widened. The innkeeper was coming back! I quickly shut the register and jumped back over the desk, my heart pounding slightly. I resumed my position, bent over the desk with a ditzy smile on my face.

The innkeeper came back into the lobby. "I finally found one. Third one on the left. Door's wide open."

"Thank you!" I cheer, skipping down the hall. As soon as the bathroom door was shut behind me, the smile faded from my face as I quickly stripped. I sat on the side of the tub to turn on the warm water, gently taking my hair down from my ponytail.

My slender fingers gingerly work their way through my hair, taking out any tangles that interfered. I quickly tested the water before stepping in. "Ahhh..." I sighed. Perfect.

Twenty minutes later, I was drying my hair, a towel wrapped around my chest. I worked a brush through my hair, trying to make my hair look presentable for the reapings. And for when I meet Amélie later.

My face softened as I thought of my girlfriend. Amélie didn't know that I was planning on volunteering. But I was confident in my abilities.

I finally gave up and put my hair back into its ponytail. My nimble fingers quickly tied a knot in the blue hair ribbon, and grabbed a yellow scarf, tying that under my ponytail.

Then I went into the bedroom, grabbing clean undergarments and pulling them on quickly. After that I pulled on a white peasant style blouse, and a yellow medieval style skirt. This is what I _always _wear, no matter what. But with my volunteering for the Hunger Games, I'll probably be forced into some horribly frumpy dress.

I'm good at manipulating people. That's going to be one of my big strategies. Manipulate my allies into loving me and trusting me so much... They'll do anything to protect me.

I begin applying a bit of mascara, and notice my hands as I lift them towards my face. They're horribly scarred, as always, from all the fights I've been in.

Sometimes, people pay me to find people. So I often come back from those jobs with a lot of money, and a lot more scars. But I make it expensive to hire me. It ends up being very rare that I'm called on.

I sighed, looking back over myself in the mirror with a scrutinizing eye. Darker skin, gray eyes highlighted by mascara, a bit of bronzer... I'm a knockout.

I grab my dagger and tuck it into the strap on my right hip, because I'm left handed. Then I grab a white scarf and tie that around my waist. I can't let anyone know I have a weapon. It's going to be my token- Oh no.

My face pales considerably, and I get my dagger back out. They won't even _consider _letting me take it if it's this sharp.

I choke back tears as I begin the process of quietly filling the knife. It can't be sharp. At all. That way I can take with me my most prized possession.

A single tear runs down my cheek as I finish the job. There. All done, completely harmless. I clean myself back up, and put everything back the way I found it. After snagging some shampoo and conditioner for if I come back.

I leave a message for the innkeeper on the table, instructing him to give my stuff to Amélie if I die.

Is this really the right choice? Should I really throw my life away like this?

But I can still come back. I still have a chance.

I have to. For Amélie.

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><p>I knock on the door of the mayor's house. Amélie answers the door and runs into my arms. "Oh, thank goodness!" She whispered, giving me a quick peck on the lips. "I was getting so worried!"<p>

"Sorry, I was busy charming my way into getting a place for the night." There. That's only a half lie... Not that bad... Right?

"Oh, Carmen!" She scolded. "You know I would gladly let you hide out in my house! There are still some places that only see my mom's criticizing eye every ten years!" She brushes her waist length red hair out of her gray eyes with a porcelain hand.

Amélie began to drag me to the town square for the reapings. "Now come on! We could've been late!" I kissed her quickly, knowing it was one of my last chances for a long, long time.

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><p><strong>District 1 <strong>

**Rolando Convery**

As I walked confidently into the town square, I saw a few girls swoon at the sight of me. Not that I can blame them, I mean. With my dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and muscular body, I would totally date myself. If I was a girl.

As I got signed in, I swaggered towards the 17-year-old section. But to my surprise, a ginger girl and her Mexican friend ran in front of me. They looked about sixteen, and were both pretty cute. The ginger that had waist length hair... Was that the mayor's daughter? What's her name... Amelia? Amélie? Oh, I don't care.

I wink at a few girls as I duck under the tape sectioning off the 17-year-old males area, and stand beside a couple buddies from school. "You gonna volunteer, Rolando?" One calls, and I laugh.

"You bet I am! And I will win!" There goes my over confidence again... But it's not _always _bad... Some girls really go for that.

I breathe out slowly, trying to calm myself before my big moment. I can't let myself be this over confident. That will kill me in the arena.

On the stage, the mayor is making some speech, and starts the video about the rebellion. I honestly don't care about that stuff. I might be a rebel... But not in the Hunger Games. That means almost certain death.

My focus drifts over to the mentors. The most recent is the male, Apollo. He almost got killed quite a few times, though. A girl had seduced him, and then turned on him. She wounded one of his friends, and he risked his life for her multiple times before she died in the final four. Then he took down the other remaining Career, leaving him and the girl from District 10. She almost strangled him, but he got his hands on a knife and cut the rope she was strangling him with. He quickly grabbed his sword and killed her, leaving him the Victor.

We actually look very similar, but his hair is lighter and he's not quite as tan. He's a real gentleman, all the ladies want him. He's still looking for someone, though.

And then there's the girl, Zink. She won a bit before Apollo. She was in an underground arena, with a District partner that was a complete asshole. He practically abused the girl! She killed him about halfway through, with the help of the District 2 girl. She had really long hair, but had to cut it to save her allies, that died a few days later. So she and the District 2 girl fought their way into the final 9, when there were four duels. Her ally got killed, leaving her, the District 4 male, the District 2 male, and the District 12 girl. The District 4 male killed the District 2 male in a blind rage, before getting killed by Zink. She then took down the District 12 girl, and became Victor.

She's been growing out her blonde hair again, and it's been getting pretty long. She's about 4'9", still as tiny as she was. Her emerald eyes are amazing, and she's got slightly large ears. If she were my age, I would totally date her. Then again, I would date a lot of girls. I just haven't yet. I admire them from afar. Much more enjoyable.

The video comes to an end, and the escort, Cosette, runs onstage. "Who's ready for the reapings?!" She cheers, bringing the rest of us in with her happiness. A bright smile decorates her face, and her blonde hair bounces slightly in its bun. After Zink won, she dyed her hair and has been growing it out.

"Alright, wasn't that a lovely video? I absolutely _adore _it! Oh, I'll stop my rambling. Let's get on with the show!" Cosette practically skipped over the the glass ball filled with the girls names. Which was pointless, someone would volunteer. I just wonder who my district partner would be...

"Amél-" She began, but immediately, a volunteer began to make her way to the stage.

"I volunteer!" She yelled, and a shriek was heard.

"_CARMEN!_" A girl yelled, trying to get to her friend. "CARMEN!" A pair of peacekeeper made their way to the girl. I couldn't see who it was. She was obviously distressed, though.

My attention turned to the stage, where the Mexican girl from earlier was mounting the steps. She has gray eyes I can see from where I'm standing, and long black hair in a messy ponytail, obviously clean. It's still slightly wet.

"And what's your name, dear?" Cosette smiles at the girl.

"I'm Carmen Alvarez." Everyone claps politely, but not many people know who the girl is.

Cosette skips over to the male names, and I stand up straighter. I have to be fast...

"Mas-"

"I volunteer!" I yell, making my way to the stage. A number of girls swoon at the sight of me, swaggering up to the stage. I step over to the microphone set up. "My name is Rolando Convery, and I'm going to win the Hunger Games!"

Confidence. The Capitol loves a good Career. So I'm gonna give them what they want. The girl and I shake hands, and I wink at her. She is pretty...

She blinks, a bit surprised, but rolls her eyes. We're both lead into separate rooms, and I sit down in a comfy chair.

My brother, Purple, bursts in the room. He has a large purple birthmark on his face. I hug him when he reaches me, and he sits in a chair beside me.

"No dad?" I ask quietly, though I already know the answer.

"You know he's not coming. After mom died, he's hardly left the house." Purple gives me a look. He sighed and leaned back in the seat. "Good luck. You'll come back to me. I know you will."

**And there you have it! This chapter is DONE! Only ten reapings left, and I have half of one done already! Sorry it took me so long to get this one done, I've actually had the first half done a couple days ago, and did the second half yesterday, and then wrote this stuff today.**

**But anyway, thanks for all ten of those reviews! I'll probably take down the other story, and put the reading of the card on this one as the prologue.**

**xRuex got the chapter question right, my favorite District is District 4! And nice try HGSurvivorBB, but 4 is my favorite! Anyways, you guys seemed to prefer Amber to James, but I like them both fairly well! I can't really decide who I like better! Though you all seemed to like both of them, I did see a couple people that preceded James.**

**So what do you think of these characters? Carmen and her girlfriend? Rolando and his over confidence?**

**Now for the chapter question: During the Victory tour, Katniss considers telling three people about President Snow threatening her. Who are those three people, and who does she end up telling? **

**That one is worth ten points, and is only for the first person to guess RIGHT. So anyway, next time should be either the District 3 reapings or the District 7 reapings. May the odds be ever in your favor!**


	3. District 7 Reapings

**Hey guys, this is the District 7 reapings! You guys (for the most part) liked Rolando and Carmen, but I know someone despised Rolando and can't wait for him to die... **

**And I did have to change the age of Joseph Parace. Since he has a girlfriend, I decided that him being twelve and them making out was unrealistic. So now he's fourteen. Sorry if that's inconvenient. **

**But guys, if some things are just unrealistic like that, I'll make minor changes to simply make them MORE realistic. Like if there are seventeen blonde haired blue eyed tributes, some will end up with green eyes, others will end up with darker hair. Small things like that. Now, I don't think I have a problem like that, but I'm just putting that out there. But anyway, here you go!**

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><p><strong>District 7<strong>

**Joseph Parace**

I finish brushing out my brown hair as I gaze into the mirror. My hazel eyes stare back at me, and a smile graces my face. I look great. Zöe is going to love the way I look! Of course, I look great every day!

She's amazing, and really lucky to have me for a boyfriend. Now, I may only be 14, but if I'm going to find the lucky girl that gets to be my soul mate, I need to start now!

I walk confidently down the stairs, bumping into my twin, Angelina. She rolls her eyes at me, and shoved past me to go finish preparing for the reapings. Well, she won't have to deal with me hogging the bathroom much longer. I'm going to volunteer today!

That's right. At fourteen, I am going to volunteer for the Hunger Games. You see, I love the Hunger Games, and have isolated ever since I saw a recap of Johanna Mason's games. She's my idol, and that's saying a lot. I consider myself everyone else's idol.

My mother sets a a plate in front of me as I sit down, and I scarf it down, hoping to meet up with Zöe before the reapings start.

"Goodbye, darling!" Mother calls as I rush out the door to go find Zöe.

"Bye, Mother!" I call. I can't just be heartless and ignore her. I may be better than everyone else, but I'm still going to be nice to them! Showing that you have a heart somehow happens to be important to most girls I've met.

Which is a lot. Considering I rule the school. Me and me alone. Very few people hate me. That I know of, anyway... But come on. Who could hate me?

I hear a shriek, and find myself tackled by someone with gorgeous blonde hair. I hug her, picking her up. "Hey, babe." I murmur, kissing her passionately. When you rule the school, having a loving girlfriend is a must- and fairly easy.

"Hi, Joseph. But I need to talk-" I cut her off with a wave of my hand. Not this again...

"Yes, I do have to volunteer. I can win. I'm better than all of them. You have to trust me, Zöe." I kiss her again, but now it's just a quick peck. Not the long, lingering one I gave earlier.

She begins to tear up, and I carry her over to a bench, gently setting her down and sitting beside her. The gorgeous blonde sobs into my shoulder, and my hand instinctively moves to go around her shoulders.

A pair of big teal blue orbs look up at me. My heart pounds as I see the tears welled up in her eyes. No, Joseph. Remind her where you stand, that there's no choice.

"Babe," I murmur in her ear. My other hand caresses her hair, feeling how soft it is. "I have to do this. You don't understand right now, but you will when I get back. Alive. You'll see."

She sniffles, picking her head up. My jacket that I thankfully decided to wear now had a large tear stain on it. I took it off, wrapping it around her shoulder.

"Joseph, I just don't know what to do. I love you, but... I don't want to see you leave me like this. I'd miss you too much." She whispers, and I stand up.

"I know you don't want me to go. But I am, and you can't stop me." My voice comes out harsher than I intended as I pull her up. I gently wipe the wetness from her face, her soft skin under my fingers.

She nods, and we begin to make our way to the town square. "Well, I guess there is a bright side to this." Zöe looks up at me.

I ponder for a moment. With what she's said, how can she be seeing a bright side? "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Zöe focuses her beautiful teal eyes on my hazel ones, and my stomach flutters. "You'll be saving a life. In exchange for you leaving, you will save a life, bring a family closer together. And I can't thank you more." She kisses me passionately, and I kiss back.

Yeah, I think. That is a bright side. They'll love me for that when I get back.

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><p><strong>District 7<strong>

**Elena Adams**

I shuffle into the 14 year old section, shyly rubbing my sore wrist. I hurt my right wrist while I was chopping down some trees a few years ago. I was distracted thinking about-

No, Elana, I chide. You can't think about her now. It's time to stay in the present.

But my mind still flashed back to that tragic day.

_Mara pulls herself up onto a smaller branch, wobbling slightly. _

_"Come down, Mara!" A younger Elena yells up to her best friend. She can't stand seeing her friend in so much danger. Normally Mara doesn't climb up so high. _

_Mara laughs as she begins to saw off a branch. "Just one more, then I'll be done! I promise."_

_'I promise.' Little did Mara know, those would be the last words she uttered. Elena could do nothing but watch as her best friend fell out of the tree down to the cold, hard ground._

_Elena shrieked as she rushed over to her friend. "MARA! MARA, NO!" _

I rub my slightly damp eyes, and shyly brush a strand of my wavy brown hair behind my ear. I'm not in the mood for this...

Of course, no one is, I ponder as I squeeze into the 14 year old section, standing by a couple classmates. One of them, Rebecca, shot me a friendly smile. But she turned away again before she could see my return it weakly. My hand fiddles with a tiny wooden bracelet around my wrist. I whittled it myself.

Normally I craft instruments. Down in the woods, with my sister, Eva. She hates the Capitol with a passion, her least favorite part of the Games are the pregames. She hates watching the Capitol show off how rich they are, while we're stuck in poverty. Then again, we're one of the better districts.

I think that, before the second rebellion, District 7 would be become a Career district. But when Johanna turned out as a rebel, that pretty much killed our chances. They died along with her.

But since then, we've been building our reputation back up. Hopefully some idiot won't mess it up... With luck, we might have a Victor good enough to make us Careers!

Our escort, Trinity, practically skips up on the stage. Which is fairly surprising, considering she's wearing stilettos, making her short 5'1" frame appear about 5'6". That's so freakish!

But there's more. Her skin is a sickly lime green, and her hair... ugh, it's bright pink, curly, and short! It looks around her head, and she looks terrible.

Rebecca turns around to whisper something to me. "Ugh, she's even uglier than normal."

I can't help myself, it's just not me. I'm not 'nice', I tell people what I think. If I know them well enough.

"Yeah, it looks like something guy threw up on her!" I say, and the group of girls around me giggle.

"Got that right." A blonde murmurs.

"Remember last year?" A brunette snickers.

We all giggle again, and I feel a lot more included today than I have in a while. It's nice, and a couple of them introduce themselves to me. Ginger and Lilly...

Maybe we could end up being great friends. Maybe I'll have real friends again, not just ones that slip away. Maybe-

"TIME FOR THE BOYS!" Trinity cheers, strutting over to the bowl. Her green hand ruffles through the papers until she reaches one she likes, and she plucks it out with her perfectly manicured nails.

"Ugh, why focus on the nails? It's the rest of her that needs work." Ginger mutters. The rest of us snicker loudly, causing Trinity to glare at us.

"AHEM! Now, the lucky, lucky male tribute is-"

"I VOLUNTEER!" A gasp ripples through the crowd, and I can't help but let one escape from my mouth. What on earth?!

A _volunteer _isn't hard to come by. But one coming from the _13 year old section? _That almost unheard of! Anywhere!

Not even _Careers _are that stupid!

The boy is obviously confident, as he swaggers onstage. He steps up to the microphone immediately, and this is the first time I feel a bit of hatred towards the boy.

"I am Joseph Parace, and I'm going to win, not any of _you._" He sneers into the microphone, and I growl instinctively. What a little prick!

Trinity cheers, despite the fact that he's stupid and won't win. "Oh, how positively _wonderful!_ A volunteer!"

Her heels click their way over to the girl's ball. Oh, please not me.

Her perfect nails hunt in the glass sphere, searching for the right paper.

Not me or my friends.

She snatches one up triumphantly, holding it like a trophy. Her stilettos click their way back to the microphone.

Oh, if there's a God out there, save me, my sister, my friends.

Her hands unfold the paper, and she clears her throat.

"This year's female tribute is," No, not- "Elena Adams!"

It's me. I don't have two many entries, only a couple more than I should. Only about five. I'm only fourteen, I can't believe this is happening to me! (AN: Sorry, inside joke with my entire social studies class. I just had to include it! Whoops, continue!)

My breaths come in short pants now, and I can feel the cameras train their mechanical eyes on me. My friends turn back to me, their looks of pity all I need to know.

I'm really going in.

My feet move on their own, and I try to moisten my dry mouth. I close my eyes for a few seconds, my eyelashes fluttering. Calm, Elena. You're on TV. Be a star.

My eyes flash open as I mount the stage, a confident smile on my face. I give a big wave to everyone that can see me as I take my place next to... Ugh, Joseph.

"All right!" Trinity yells. "Joseph and Elena, shake hands!"

His hazel eyes harden as I hold my hand out to shake his. He gives me a look one would give to a despicable creature before they crush it with the sole of their shoe. But he composes himself, reaching his hand out to take mine. A slow smile spreads across his face.

"Are you ready to play the game of your life, Elena?" He whispers as we begin to walk into the justice building.

I fix him with a cold, hard stare. "Bring it."

And, I think to myself, if I die, Mara will be there with me.

**Heh heh... Yeah, I am soooo sorry for the late update! I hope these tributes are okay, and I SWEAR if I hadn't been grounded, I would've updated on the eighth. Which is my Fanfiction birthday, and we'll also call it my birthday because I don't want to give the real one away.**

**Tell me how you likes it! Congrats to DaughterofApollo7 for getting the trivia right, it was Peeta, Haymitch, and Cinna, and she told Haymitch.**

**For the next one: What is the name of Peeta's stylist? And what did you think of these tributes? They're both for ten. Not ten each, ten together. Because I don't want reviews that consist of: Peeta's stylist was _.**

**Sorry, this doesn't work that way. And please vote in the poll on my profile! It's very important! **

**OOH, and one last question: When this is done, should I advance a few years instead of doing the 201st games and make district 7 a Career district?**


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